No Country for Old Men Single Film Study Part 1 here
Key Sequence Analysis
When considering sequences in the film that could be discussed in relation to the topics above there are many that could be chosen for discussion with class and for revision. There are two chosen here that have been picked apart slightly more. Both sequences help you discuss Micro Features, Macro Features, Spectatorship, Narrative and Ideology.
Retrieving the Money (approx 42.00-50.00)
A key scene that brings all of these elements together is the sequence where Moss returns to the motel but sees the curtains have been moved instigating a tense sequence of events where he needs to retrieve the money quickly. At the same time the audience follow Chigurh as the beacon comes back to life and he closes in on the motel.
The scene starts in a LS of Moss in the bathroom of a new room with his ear against the back wall, his paranoia and caution is at maximum levels because he is unsure of how the ‘enemies’ have tracked him. The shots of Moss use warm orange colours and the simple diegetic sounds are amplified as he uses masking tape, clips coathangers and puts together poles to retrieve the case. This is directly contrasted to the cold and grey scenes, that run parallel to this, of Anton Chiguhr in the car and arriving at the motel. The subjective shots of the car hood is a recurring shot throughout the film and is seen twice in this sequence, it also adds to the conventions of this genre of ‘cat-and-mouse’.
The CU of the transponder heightens the tension alongside…
